HER | ✓

⍣Twenty⍣

A few weeks after everyone deserted the Jones's house Harry still walked around ruminating over George being gay. Martha's heart was filled with a hollow sadness and every night she would cry herself to sleep. Her nest was empty, her years were numbered, and all she wanted was a grandbaby to complete her life. At the pace everything was going she felt as though she'd be gone before it ever happened.

George and Farah remained friends, though probably not as close as before. George kept his distance for awhile, hanging around night clubs and bars to fill the void. By last call he would be too sloshed to hail a cab, letting it fall into the hands of the bartender who took mercy on him.

Farah submerged herself into work and work only. Choosing that over anything else that fell into her path. 

Clayton met with Barbara a couple days after Christmas at a diner close to home. Barbara greeted him with familiar comfort. Her vanilla perfume as warming as it was the day he met her. They sat and dug into their meals, making smalltalk along the way.

"So how was Christmas?" she asked.

Clayton paused with his fork mid air and shoved food in his mouth.

"It was... interesting."

"Yeah? What happened?"

"A lot to be honest." He chuckled, not wanting to remember it.

"Well, okay." She didn't want to pry and went back to her food.

"My brother revealed he was gay and my dad busted down the bedroom door to beat the living crap out of him."

"Whoa..."

"Yeah that's what my daughter said." He stopped.

"Daughter? You didn't tell me you had a daughter." Her mouth twisted.

He sighed. "I didn't know."

"What do you mean? You didn't know you had a daughter?"

He knew he would have to explain.

"My brother brought home a girl to pretend to be his girlfriend and it turned out she was an old flame of mine from years back. I lost connection with her when she suddenly left the resort we were staying at. And when she showed up she had a kid with her. Our kid."

"Oh... Sounds like you really did have an interesting Christmas." She played with the food on her plate.

"Yeah... I did." He stared down.

Barbara spoke up after silenced settled between them. "You know, I should probably go."

His head snapped up. "What?"

"I don't think this, I mean us, are going to work." Her mouth twisted again.

"Why not?"

Barbara was calling over a waiter. "Because I can tell you're still hung up on her."

"I'm not."

She sighed and began talking. "It was there the first night I met you. You looked at me as if you seen someone else, as if you already knew who I was. I flicked away the thought because I had a drink or two, but now I know for sure. You've looked at me the same way three times already tonight as you did that night. I just can't let you string me along knowing that when we're sleeping together you're picturing someone else."